Exhibiting at ICC Sydney: what exhibitors need to know

ICC Sydney at a glance: capacity and spaces

ICC Sydney combines a convention centre, an exhibition centre and an entertainment theatre on Darling Harbour. It is a NSW Government project. The venue publishes these sizes and capacities:

With all four theatres full, ICC Sydney says it can host up to 12,000 delegates at once.

Exhibition halls, ceilings and floor loading

The seven halls sit on two levels. The Level 1 halls have columns on a 27m grid. The Level 4 halls are pillarless and open onto the event deck.

What this means for your stand:

• Ceiling: 10.5m clear. Your stand height is set by the permit rules below, not the ceiling.
• Floor loading: 20 kPa on both exhibition levels. The Gallery and the Convention Centre are rated at 5 kPa, so check the weight of heavy exhibits if your space is outside the halls.
• Columns: on Level 1, confirm column positions before design starts.
• Services in the floor: dry pits carry three-phase power and data on a 6m x 6m grid. Wet pits carry water and drainage on a 6m x 12m grid. Compressed air can be provided.
• Rigging: a 9m x 9m rigging grid with a 2.5 tonne point load capacity.

Loading dock and vehicle bookings

ICC Sydney has three loading dock areas serving ten docks. Every delivery and pick-up needs a vehicle time slot booked in advance, and vehicles may be turned away without one.

• Freight forwarder or self-delivery. If the organiser has appointed a freight forwarder, book through them and you don't need an ICC Sydney dock booking. If not, book each vehicle through ICC Sydney's Loading Dock Booking Form.
• Which dock. The Level 1 dock serves Halls 1 to 4. It is undercover on the eastern side, with 5.6m wide x 4.5m high doors. The Level 4 dock serves Halls 5 to 7. It is on the western side, reached from Darling Drive, with one-way circulation and 6m wide x 4.5m high doors.
• 15 minutes, driver stays. At the Convention Centre dock, the driver stays with the vehicle, unloads within 15 minutes, then moves to a paid car park.
• No storage on site unless your organiser has arranged it. ICC Sydney porterage must also be arranged and paid for through the organiser.
• Small items can be hand-carried from car park P1. Freight and large trolleys can't use guest lifts.

Unscheduled Convention Centre deliveries are refused unless porterage or storage was arranged through the organiser, so consolidate where you can.

Stand heights, approvals and rigging

Custom stands need ICC Sydney's approval. Submit a render showing dimensions and structural elements with the Custom Stand permit, no later than 14 days before the hiring period of the event. The permit sets these rules:

The organiser's manual may set lower limits, so check both.

Banner hanging and rigging are ordered through ICC Sydney's Exhibitor Services team. Work at height is covered by ICC Sydney's working at heights permit, which is also due 14 days before the hiring period.

Inductions. Anyone doing high-risk work, such as building stands, rigging, electrical or AV work, must complete ICC Sydney's online induction before arriving, through a company registered on Rapid Global. Dressing a pre-built stand isn't high-risk work. During move-in and move-out, everyone on the floor needs high-visibility clothing and enclosed shoes.

Power, services and food sampling

Order services in advance through ICC Sydney's Exhibitor Services team: food and beverage, internet, water and waste, banner hanging and rigging, stand cleaning and audio visual.

• Deadlines. Orders and permit forms are due at least 14 days before the first move-in day. Payment is due in full at least five business days before move-in, or the services won't be provided. On-site orders are limited.
• Power. Stand power isn't on ICC Sydney's exhibitor order forms. Order it, and check the electrical test and tag requirements, through the organiser's exhibitor manual.
• Food and drink. ICC Sydney has sole catering rights. You may only bring in food or drink that is directly related to your business, in sampling sizes. The sampling permit limits food to bite-sized or 50 g portions, and drinks to 100 ml (non-alcoholic), 50 ml (wine and beer) or 20 ml (spirits). Anyone serving alcohol must hold an NSW RSA card. The sampling permit, due 14 days before the hiring period, must include an approved City of Sydney temporary food stall permit number.

Getting there: freight, parking and access

Send freight questions to your organiser or its freight forwarder.

• Parking: two car parks with 826 spaces, a 2.2m height limit and no pre-booking. Parking is cashless. Discounted exhibitor parking applies on full move-in and move-out days only. Validate it at the Exhibitor Services Desk on Level 2, beside Hall 4.
• Public transport: light rail stops at Convention Centre and Exhibition Centre. Town Hall and Central stations are about a 10-minute walk.

Exhibitor checklist

1. Get the organiser's exhibitor manual. Confirm your hall, stand number, column positions and height limit.
2. For a custom stand, brief your builder early. For our custom builds, allow 4 to 8 weeks from a signed-off brief to the show.
3. Submit the stand render and Custom Stand permit, plus any sampling or working at heights permits, at least 14 days before the hiring period.
4. Order and pay for services: orders 14 days out, payment five business days before move-in.
5. Book your dock time slot, or confirm the freight forwarder's arrangements.
6. Check that your builder's crew is registered on Rapid Global and inducted, and pack hi-vis and enclosed shoes for move-in.

How we help at ICC Sydney

We're based in Artarmon, roughly a quarter of an hour from ICC Sydney. We build exhibition stands in Sydney from first concept to bump-out, and look after the venue side: crew inductions, dock bookings, forklift access and rubbish. If the show doesn't justify a custom build, our exhibition stand hire kits go back after the show, so there's nothing to store. Our installation and pack-down crew can liaise with the organiser for you.

Compare options on our exhibition stands page or read ICC Sydney proves its worth. Then send us your floor plan and show dates, or call 1300 240 250.